Illuminated shrine



May 15, 1956 s. F. PREST 2,745,948

ILLUMINATED SHRINE Filed July 1, 1954 INVENTOR STANLEY F. PREST BY M ATTO NEY United States Patent,

' ILLUMINATED snRiNE Stanley F. Prest, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Anthony T. Kryzan, Youngstown, Ghio Application July 1, 1954, Serial No. 449,782

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-) The present invention relates to display articles used for decorative, religious and other purposes, and has particular reference to articles of this nature wherein means are employed for illuminating the article to enhance its beauty or distinctiveness.

As an overall object the present invention seeks to provide a novel and improved display assembly having means for illuminating the principal article of display, wherein the principal article and the illuminating means are arranged in a novel manner to obtain a novel display effect.

More specifically, the invention seeks to provide a novel display assembly comprising a shrine, for example, having a miniature statue of religious or other significance, wherein novel means are provided for illuminating the statue and/or shrine so as to render the same more striking and attractive. To this end the invention contemplates an assembly comprising a shrine and statuette formed partially of translucent material, preferably plastic, and means to illuminate such shrine and statuette in a novel manner whereby the display effect of the statuette and/or shrine is altered and improved.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel illuminated shrine or similar display device having the features set forth above wherein suitable batteries and switching means may be provided within the base of the assembly for supplying illuminating power when desired.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a display device of the type described above which may be easily and economically manufactured.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed specification and accompanying drawing wherein is disclosed a certain preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of an illuminated shrine display device constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates a hollow base member, upon the upper surface of which is suitably mounted a shrine 11, including a statuette 12. The shrine 11 is preferably of molded onepiece construction, being generally hollow and having thin walls, and formed of suitable plastic material. In accordance with the teachings of the invention the plastic material is translucent, so that light may be transmitted therethrough, but preferably not transparent to any substantial extent.

As shown in Figure 1, the shrine 11 comprises a stepped base portion 13 having a flat upper surface 14 upon which is mounted the statuette 12. The statuette, like the shrine 11, is preferably of one-piece translucent plastic construction, having a hollow interior opening at the base of the statuette. The upper surface 14 of the 2 base portion 13 is provided with an aperture 15 over which the statuette is positioned, so that the hollow interior of the statuette communicates with the hollow interior of the base portion 13.

In the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the in;

vention the statuette 12 is molded of white or cream colored plastic material, with portions of the. statuette being coated with paint of'various colors to effect a natural overall appearance. Thus, in Figure l, theexposed head and hand portions of the statuette may be fleshcolored, while the shawl or mantle 16 may be a distinctive dark color. The robe 17 and veil 18 may be of the natural white or creamy color of the basic plastic material.

Positioned about the statuette 12 is a plastic backdrop or niche 19, which is integral with the base portion 13. The backdrop 19 is preferably of colored translucent material, as is the base portion 14.

Mounted in the main base member 10, and extending upwardly through the flat top surface 20 thereof is a light socket 21 in which is received a suitable bulb 22. In accordance with the teachings of the invention the bulb 22 is located below and generally in alignment with the aperture 15 and the opening into the hollow interior of the statuette 12. The arrangement is such that light from the bulb is transmitted through the aperture 15 into the interior of the statuette and distributed throughout the plastic material thereof in a manner determined by the translucent characteristics of the material. The unpainted portions of the statuette are thus caused to glow or luminesce brightly, while the coated portions are caused to glow to a lesser extent, or not at all, depending upon the characteristics of the paint utilized.

In addition, light transmitted from the bulb 22 is distributed through the backdrop 19 so that the same appears luminescent, lending to a more or less supernatural overall appearance, which is the unique display appearance desired.

To power the bulb 22 I provide one or more dry cell batteries 23 which are mounted'within the hollow interior of the base 10, and which connect the socket 21 through a suitable switch 24 mounted in the side wall 25 of the base 10 and extending outwardly thereof so as to be readily accessible at all times.

It should thus be apparent that l have accomplished the several objects initially set forth. My novel illuminated shrine provides a wholly unique display effect through a novel arrangement of translucent plastic display articles Thus, the statuette' and illuminating means therefor. and shrine are comprised of suitably pigmented plastic material, which may be coated on its surface at selected areas so that when the assembly is illuminated the various areas appear to lumines'ce with varying degrees of brightness. The overall appearance of the article is striking and distinctive and somewhat supernatural, so that highly effective religious displays, for example, may be arranged.

As will be readily apparent, my device may be easily and inexpensively manufactured, being composed of molded plastic and other standard components.

It should be understood, however, that the exact embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be illustrative only, as certain obvious modifications may be made within the clear teachings of the invention. Reference should therefore be had to the following appended claim in determining the full scope of the invention.

I claim: a

A decorative illuminated shrine assembly comprising in combination an enlarged hollow base having a flat top surface portion, a hollow pedestal-like member mounted on said top surface, an electric bulb socket mounted on said base and opening into the hollow interior of said pedestal-like member, an electric bulb received in said 7 socket and extending upwardly into the interior of said hollow construction with an opening at its lower end positioned over said aperture, said statuette being coated over selected surface area portions whereby light transmitted into the interior of said statuette from said bulb causes the statuette to luminesce with varying degrees of brightness over difierent surface area portions, and a generally semi-cylindrical backdrop positioned about said statuette, said backdrop being formed integrally with said pedestal-like member and being of translucent plastic, the arrangement being such that light from said bulb is transmitted to and distributed through said backdrop to give the same a luminescent appearance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,514,599 Dwinell July 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 766,546 France Apr. 16, 1934 

